Press die of sliding cover fastener and punch structure thereof

ABSTRACT

A punch structure of a press die, which is used for manufacturing a sliding cover fastener, includes a first press component, a second press component, and a press pole, which are assembled together and act individually. Thus, the assembly of the sliding cover fastener can be accomplished with a single press die, so that the cost of the press die is lowered and manpower effectively reduced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a press die of a sliding cover fastener and a punch structure thereof, and in particular to a press die of a sliding cover fastener and a punch structure which can finish the assembly of the sliding cover fastener with a single press die.

2. The Related Arts

Nowadays, an electronic product having photography features, such as a mobile phone, comprises a lens module setting thereon, and a sliding cover for protecting the lens module from being scratched or dust falling on the lens. The sliding cover engages a sliding groove of the electronic product correspondingly, therefore being able to slide back and forth on the sliding groove, as well as to cover and uncover the lens module. The sliding cover may become too loose on the sliding groove over time due to frequently sliding back and forth, and may also become easily removed thereby damaging the lens module.

U.S. Patent Application No. 2010/0067895A1 discloses a “Fastener for Fixing a Sliding Cover of a Camera”, which provides a fastener that realizes tight engagement between a camera sliding cover and a body of the camera. The fastener comprises a compression spring received therein, and the compression spring provides a spring force acting on an upper cap of the sliding cover fastener. Because the upper cap of the fastener is in engagement with the camera sliding cover when the sliding cover is closed, the engagement between the sliding cover and the camera body is made tight and no easily get loosened to provide effective protection for a lens module of the camera.

FIG. 1A shows a sliding cover fastener which can be manufactured with a press die according to the present invention. However, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, a conventional pressing device that is used to manufacture the sliding cover fastener is illustrated first to give a brief explanation of the drawbacks thereof. The conventional pressing device performs a two-phase pressing operation with two press dies as respectively shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C. As shown in FIG. 1A, the sliding cover fastener, generally designated at 90, is used in an electronic product, such as a mobile phone, having a lens module and a sliding cover for covering the lens module. The sliding cover fastener 90 comprises an under housing 91, a spring 92, and an upper cap 93. The spring 92 and the upper cap 93 are put into the under housing 91 in order. Then, as shown in FIG. 1B, a first press die 81 of the conventional pressing device is used to bend a plurality of bucking pieces 911 on an upper edge of the under housing 91 to form 45 degree inward inclination. Finally, as shown in FIG. 1C, a second press die 82 is used to successively bend the bucking pieces 911 inward to a 90-degree condition (namely substantially horizontal). Thus, the upper cap 93 can be secured in the under housing 91 as not to be easily removed. The above-mentioned method of assembly which utilizes the first and second press dies to bend the bucking pieces 911 on the upper edge of the under housing 91 requires two press dies being operated by two operators firstly at 45 degrees then 90 degrees, therefore creating unnecessary usage of the press dies and wasting manpower.

Therefore, there is a need for providing a press die of a sliding cover fastener and a punch structure thereof, to solve existing problems in the conventional technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a punch structure of a press die that is applicable for processing and manufacturing a sliding cover fastener, wherein the punch structure comprises a first press component, a second press component, and a press pole, which are assembled together but act individually so that an assembly process of a sliding cover fastener can be accomplished with a single press die, so that the cost of the press die can be lowered and manpower effectively reduced.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a punch structure of a press die, which is used in manufacturing a sliding cover fastener, comprising: a first press component, which is formed as a sleeve and has a bottom forming a first punch; a second press component, which is formed as a sleeve received in the first press component and has a bottom forming a second punch; and a press pole, which is received in the second press component, wherein the first press component, the second press component, and the press pole are operable individually.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a press die of a sliding cover fastener, which is used in manufacturing a sliding cover fastener, comprising a fixing groove for receiving and retaining therein a sliding cover fastener and a punch structure setting above the sliding cover fastener. The punch structure comprises: a first press component, which is formed as a sleeve and has a bottom forming a first punch; a second press component, which is formed as a sleeve received in the first press component and has a bottom forming a second punch; and a press pole, which is received in the second press component, wherein the first press component, the second press component, and the press pole are operable individually.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first punch of the first press component has a press surface that is 45 degree inward inclined.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the second punch of the second press component has a press surface that is horizontal.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the sliding cover fastener comprises an under housing, a spring, and an upper cap, wherein the spring is set in the under housing pushing the upper cap, so that the upper cap is disposed movably in the under housing.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first punch of the first press component corresponds to a plurality of bucking pieces of the under housing and a press surface of the first punch of the first press component is 45 degree inward inclined.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the second punch of the second press component corresponds to an upper end of the plurality of bucking pieces of the under housing and a press surface of the second punch of the second press component is horizontal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A shows a sliding cover fastener, which is processable by a press die according to the present invention;

FIGS. 1B and 1C are schematic views illustrating processing of the sliding cover fastener in a two-phase process with conventional pressing punches;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a press die according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for processing a sliding cover fastener; and

FIGS. 3A-3D are schematic views illustrating, in sequence, steps of processing the sliding cover fastener with a punch structure of the press die according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The foregoing objects, features and advantages adopted by the present invention can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the directional terms described in the present invention, such as upper, lower, front, rear, left, right, inner, outer, side and etc., are only directions referring to the accompanying drawings, so that the used directional terms are used to describe and understand the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

With reference to FIG. 2, which is a perspective view showing a press die, generally designated at 1, of a sliding cover fastener according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the press die 1 is applicable in a pressing operation for producing a sliding cover fastener 2. The sliding cover fastener 2 is first put into a fixing groove (not labeled) that is set in a lower portion of the press die 1. The press die 1 comprises a punch structure 10, which is included in a moving structure of an upper portion of the press die 1 and is arranged to face downward at a distance above the sliding cover fastener 2 that is received in the fixing groove of the lower portion of the press die 1.

The pressing operation that the punch structure 10 of the press die 1 performed on the sliding cover fastener 2 will be described. Reference will now be made to FIGS. 3A-3D, which schematically demonstrate, in sequence, steps of the pressing operation that the punch of the press die according to the present invention performed on the sliding cover fastener.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the punch structure 10 of the press die 1 comprises a first press component 11, a second press component 12, and a press pole 13. The first press component 11 is formed as a sleeve and has a first punch 111 on the bottom thereof. The second press component 12 is also formed as a sleeve setting in the first press component 11 and has a second punch 121 on the bottom thereof. The press pole 13 is set in the second press component 12. The first press component 11, the second press component 12, and the press pole 13 are received in each other and are assembled to act individually. Furthermore, the first punch 111 of the first press component 11 has a press surface that is designed to be a 45-degree inward inclining surface, and the second punch 121 of the second press component 12 has a press surface that is designed to be a 90 degree surface (namely a horizontal surface).

As shown in FIG. 3A, the sliding cover fastener 2 comprises an under housing 21, a spring 22, and an upper cap 23. The spring 22 is put into the under housing 21, and then the upper cap 23 is put on the spring 22. The sliding cover fastener 2 is put into the fixing groove (not labeled) of the lower potion of the press die 1, meanwhile the punch structure 10 is set at a distance above the sliding cover fastener 2.

Secondly, as shown in FIG. 3B, the first press component 11 and the press pole 13 of the punch structure 10 are moved downward. The press pole 13 presses the upper cap 23 of the sliding cover fastener 2 downward a distance to prevent the upper cap 23 from interfering with the pressing operation. Preferably, the first punch 111 of the first press component 11 corresponds to a plurality of bucking pieces 211 formed on an upper edge of the under housing 21. Because the press surface of the first punch 111 is of 45 degrees inward inclination, the first punch 111, once contacting and pressing the bucking pieces 211 of the sliding cover fastener 2, makes the bucking pieces 211 bending 45 degrees inward.

Thirdly, as shown in FIG. 3C, while the first press component 11 and the press pole 13 are maintained at the same position, the second press component 12 is moved downward. Preferably, the second punch 121 of the second press component 12 corresponds to upper ends of the bucking pieces 211 of the under housing 21 that have been bent by 45 degrees by the first press component 11. Because the press surface of the second punch 121 is a 90-degree flat surface (i.e. horizontal), the second punch 121 makes the bucking pieces 211 of the sliding cover fastener 2 further inward bending to 90 degrees.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 3D, the last step moves up the first press component 11, the second press component 12, and the press pole 13 at the same time, and then the assembly of the sliding cover fastener 2 is accomplished. The spring 22 is set in the under housing 21 for pushing the upper cap 23 upward, and the upper cap 23 is disposed movably in the under housing 21 and retained within the under housing 21 by the bucking pieces 211 that are bent 90-degree inwards by the punch structure 10. The sliding cover fastener 2 is used for fastening a sliding cover of an electronic product having a lens module, in order to ensure that the sliding cover fastener 2 is in tight engagement between the sliding cover and a main body of the electronic product in both open position and closed position without undesired loosening, so as to protect the lens module effectively.

As described above, in comparison to the conventional assembly method of the sliding cover fastener which requires two press dies being operated by two operators, creating unnecessary usage of the press dies and wasting manpower, the present invention provides a punch structure 10 of a press die which comprises a first press component 11, a second press component 12, and a press pole 13 that are assembled together but act individually. Thus, the assembly of the sliding cover fastener can be accomplished with a single press die and the cost of making the press die can be lowered and manpower required effectively reduced.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims. 

1. A punch structure adapted for manufacturing a sliding cover fastener, the punch structure comprising: a first press component, which is formed as a sleeve and has a bottom forming a first punch; a second press component, which is formed as a sleeve received in the first press component and has a bottom forming a second punch; and a press pole, which is received in the second press component; wherein the first press component, the second press component, and the press pole are individually operable.
 2. The punch structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first punch of the first press component has a press surface that is 45 degree inward inclined.
 3. The punch structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second punch of the second press component has a press surface that is horizontal.
 4. The punch structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sliding cover fastener comprises an under housing, a spring, and an upper cap, and the spring is set in the under housing pushing the upper cap, such that the upper cap is disposed movably in the under housing.
 5. The punch structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first punch of the first press component corresponds to bucking pieces of the under housing, and a press surface of the first punch of the first press component is 45 degrees inward.
 6. The punch structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second punch of the second press component corresponds to an upper end of the bucking pieces of the under housing, and a press surface of the second punch of the second press component is horizontal.
 7. A press die for manufacturing a sliding cover fastener, wherein the press die comprises a fixing groove for receiving and retaining the sliding cover fastener therein and a punch structure which is set above the sliding cover fastener, the punch structure comprising: a first press component, which is formed as a sleeve and has a bottom forming a first punch; a second press component, which is formed as a sleeve received in the first press component and has a bottom forming a second punch; and a press pole, which is received in the second press component; wherein the first press component, the second press component, and the press pole are individually operable.
 8. The press die as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first punch of the first press component has a press surface that is 45 degree inward inclined, and the second punch of the second press component has a press surface that is horizontal.
 9. The press die as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sliding cover fastener comprises an under housing, a spring, and an upper cap, and the spring is set in the under housing pushing the upper cap, such that the upper cap is disposed movably in the under housing.
 10. The press die as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first punch of the first press component corresponds to bucking pieces of the under housing, and a press surface of the first punch of the first press component is 45 degrees inward, the second punch of the second press component corresponding to an upper end of the bucking pieces of the under housing, a press surface of the second punch of the second press component being horizontal. 